She huffed.“I have already told you once tonight not to refer to me so familiarly.And it is not a secret.”
“What is not?”
She exhaled heavily and shook her head, then looked at him again with a rueful smile.“My grandmother.She was French.She died when I was twelve, but until then, she spoke French almost exclusively in our home.We have all been speaking it since we were old enough to talk.”
Darcy’s brows rose.“I did not expect that.How did she meet your grandfather?”
“Grandfather Bennet was searching for his soulmate.”She wandered around the table as she spoke, rolling balls beneath her palm and running her fingers over the felt.Darcy stood along the wall and watched her with hooded eyes, brandy glass in hand.“He accepted every invitation that came his way.He went to house parties and balls and soirees.He grew quite tired of searching for a woman who refused to appear and took a break from his search.His cousin had recently been to France and asked my grandfather to meet him at the docks when he arrived.Grandfather agreed, and my grandmother was on the ship.As soon as he saw her, he knew she was the one.”
“Your grandfather sounds like he was a determined man.”
“It is a Bennet trait.”
He laughed.“I’m sure it is.”
She smiled slyly at him.“Why are you flirting so boldly with me, Mr.Darcy?”
“Do you not like it?”
She looked down.“I did not say that.”
He sipped his brandy.“I find that I like flirting with you.”
She looked up at him in surprise.
“I like the way your eyes widen when I shock you.”
She tilted her head.
“And the way you upbraid me with your eyes when you think I am misbehaving.It makes me want to do it again.”
She laughed.
“And I like your laugh.It is magical.Ethereal.”
She flushed.
“And I like your blushes.”He sipped his brandy.“I hope to see many more of them.”
Her eyes were soft now as she watched him across the billiards table.He crossed to her side and she dropped her eyes to the floor.He brushed his knuckles along her cheek.
“So I ask you again, Miss Elizabeth, do you wish me to stop flirting with you?”
She swallowed.“No.”
He smiled warmly at her.“Look at me, Elizabeth.”
She tilted her head up.“You are much taller up close.”
He laughed lightly.“And you are even lovelier than from afar.”
She wanted to say something impertinent, but her mind was blank.Looking at him this closely was too much, so she turned her head to the side.Before she could say anything, she saw something on his arm.She looked at it more closely, leaning forward.
Darcy realized she had just seen his mark and held his arm out for her inspection.
“You have a mark.”Her voice was tremulous.
“Yes.I thought you knew.”
